Order 65
by darthluna01
Summary: Anakin refuses Sidious' offer, forcing the Skywalkers to flee without their son to wait until the day for retribution. In the meantime, Jedi across the galaxy must take refuge as the Empire rises to strike back at them.
1. The Debacle of Lies

_"How do you know the ways of the Force?"_

_"My mentor taught me everything about the Force...even the nature of the Dark Side."_

The sentence resonated in Anakin's mind, unbelievable yet so frank. However, the pieces in the naive Jedi's head were starting to fall into place, and he carefully deduced the measures to which Palpatine had taken. So elaborate, so intricate, so heinous and well planned. It all made so much sense now. But it was hard to accept. Chancellor Palpatine was like a mentor. Not only that, but Anakin had also regarded him as a good friend. Yet, in the face of such betrayal and treachery, how could that ever be true?

Anakin soon found his voice, as well as a slippery grip on his lightsaber hilt. "You know of the Dark Side?" He couldn't we sure of what he heard, no matter what his reason or his conscience may have been telling him. It was best to make sure rather than come to conclusions too quickly.

"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin." Palpatine paused, as if bordering on the edge. "They fear you. In time they will destroy you. Let me train you."

That touched a nerve. "I won't be a pawn in your political game. The Jedi are my family." Well, almost. He would be--no he refused to think about it. Not now, not here.

"Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death." If Palpatine's last answer had touched a nerve, this might as well have cut it loose all together.

"What did you say?" Anakin demanded furiously. Anger welled inside him, and he no longer cared whether this man was a friend or mentor. He was a threat, and had to be eliminated.

"Use my knowledge, I beg of you..." But the facade had fallen and all Anakin saw was a manipulating old man who was as ruthless as he was power-hungry. Palpatine, or whoever he _really _was, would do anything to gain control - even destroy Anakin's family.

"You're a Sith Lord, you-you scum! I'll never join the likes of you!" With that, Anakin ignited the lightsaber with his eager fingers and forced the old man with it up against the wall.

Palpatine sneered. "Are you going to kill me?" The question was condescending. As Anakin looked into his eyes, he saw darkness in their depths, forever twisting and evil. Now he was completely sure. The real question of it all was: what should he do?

Hate and anger fueled Anakin, signs of the Dark Side. He was tempted beyond reason, to immediately decapitate the foul being before him. Yet, in the midst of it, something tugged at the edge of his mind, keeping the last surge of hatred abated.

And here Anakin hesitated, unsure and almost vulnerable. Palpatine immediately took advantage of this state.

"I know your troubles, young Skywalker. I can help you. I have the power, to save your wife and child from their pending fate. You have seen it, I know it to be true."

The tale of Darth Plagueis suddenly jumped on Anakin's train of thought. Was that what Palpatine had meant? Did he really have such power? And in that case, was he not the apprentice of Plagueis or perhaps the apprentice of the apprentice?

Furthermore, if Palpatine was this hypothetical Sith, could Anakin trick him into giving him the secret?

There was only one way to find out. "Prove it. I don't believe that you, even with all of your psychological manipulations. Prove that you're more than words."

The Chancellor smiled, and then Anakin knew something was quite wrong. "Of course. If you'll just step back a little, son. I shall show you."

"I am not your son." Young Skywalker obliged anyway, yet cautiously held out the lightsaber.

The old man chuckled slightly. And then, he inhaled slowly, closing his eyes. When Anakin was just about ready to speak, Palpatine raised his hands and Anakin was assaulted by electric-blue lightning, giving him barely a second to react by shielding himself with the equally blue lightsaber. This was real. This was something. And even though he was fighting it, Anakin knew that deep down, he wanted it.

"Do not underestimate the _power_ of the Dark Side. Use your anger, your hate...your _fear_! I can _feel _the conflict in you. You are so capable, so young. I can teach you things that could make you the most powerful being in the galaxy. Such potential should never be wasted on fools like the Jedi!"

The effort of blocking the Dark Side lightning was draining Anakin's strength, making his knees buckle under him. "You're wrong! There is... no conflict!" He shouted in defiance. But there was conflict. Anakin was torn between duty and emotion. It was his duty, his sworn oath, to keep peace in the galaxy. To destroy a Sith would be a further fulfillment of that duty.

But he loved Padme, and he loved Obi-Wan like his own flesh and blood. At the same time, to place so much dependency on attachments was against his duty. And that's where things stood. It was the pinnacle of inner conflict for this Jedi, and he would have to make his decision quickly.

Beads of sweat began to form on Skywalker's brow and his grip on the lightsaber began to falter. He took time to stare at Palpatine. It was a shocking revelation; wrinkles grew steadily deeper and the once dark brown eyes were flooded with a sickly yellow shade. This was not the man Anakin thought he had known, but the uncovering of an agent of the Dark Side. It was the man they had been searching for: Darth Sidious.


	2. Power Play

**AN: I have to admit, the first chapter was not my best work. This chapter is more to their true character. R&R!**

Anakin saw the lies unfold before him, but there was one part in the back of his mind that really was willing to believe what Sidious claimed. After all, the Sith had battled with the Jedi for hundreds of years, meaning they must be very powerful. Palpatine would have to be especially powerful to shield his true identity from them the Jedi all this time. Reason was screaming to Anakin, yet there was that one shard of resistance which met it. The one shard that kept Anakin from charging at the man before him and finishing everything once and for all.

The worst bit was that Sidious knew. He knew that he had an infinitesimal advantage over this young Jedi Knight, and that could be expanded any moment with the right amount of deception. That was the way of the Sith: deception, hatred, anger and fear. They were used to strengthen powers, not lessen them. With a Sith's anger and hatred, they gained focus. With fear, they gained power. With deception they gained the pawns to play the game.

This would be the most crucial pawn of all, in the final stance of the game.

"Good. Good. I sense your hate. Your anger. They give you _focus_. Use them, young Skywalker. The Jedi have betrayed you. They desire only power. They have a plot to destroy the Republic. Just like...", he softened his voice several notches, "...they destroyed your mother." His wave of electricity evaporated to smoke.

Anakin's reason once again told him that this was another lie. But as was known to happen, Anakin's emotion completely took over. "What?!" He screamed in fury, his hand released the lightsaber as it deactivated, utterly confused.

"I cannot hide it any longer. The Jedi are ruthless, merciless people. They do not care about compassion; they desire only power. They saw you, a truly powerful and gifted Force-sensitive who they could manipulate to their side in their bid for power. But there were obstacles! Your mother was one of those obstacles. Do you not see why the Jedi forbid attachments?"

Sidious knew that he had finally caught the young fool in his trap.

"Because attachments will compromise their greed! If they were to discover..._her _and the child, they would eliminate her too. Just like they did your mother. They hired the Sand People to kill her, you must know I am telling the truth. I beg of you to see reason and abandon their ways, to join me and rid of their hunger for power. Accept the Dark Sid, and you will have the power to save your wife before it is too late!

_But, no! That couldn't be true, could it? The Jedi were his friends, and all they had ever done was take care of him! Obi-Wan was his brother, who worried and cared about Anakin. Their friendship was never a lie! _

"I won't listen to this! You're trying to turn me against the Jedi, and it won't work! They raised me, trained me, and cared for me. My mother was killed by Tusken Raiders, and I found her dying body amongst them! I killed them all! They were animals and I _slaughtered _them like animals!"

"I slaughtered them like animals!" he repeated wildly, "I-I killed them and...and...no, that can't..."

Sidious' charade was finally over, and it was time to conform to plan B. Skywalker was not ultimately needed, and he was most resistant than Sidious had realized. "Young fool. Only do you realize at the END!"

Anakin had a split-second to react to the red blade that came hurling down at him. The blue and red clashed violently, as the Jedi and Sith engaged in combat. Each had their own advantage: Anakin was younger, more agile and fit, but Sidious made up for all that with the immensely Dark power he possessed. His hate flowed like a river and it gave him strength and focus.

Yet Anakin was still quicker. He used his most aggressive Djem So, attempting to defend himself with it. They crossed and spun the blades across the narrow Chancellor's chamber, until the fight extended to the empty Senate Rotunda.

Anakin flung himself aside to take cover behind one of the disc-shaped seats, formulating a plan to escape. Sparks of lightning were aimed at the box, and it meandered slowly to the center. Anakin ducked out and with a Force-induced leap, bounded across onto a lower level, his lightsaber wielded like a shield before him.

Sidious cackled maniacally, showering him again with lightning, apparently finding it the easier route than normal saber fighting. As he deflected the bolts, Skywalker realized that using the Force was another legitimate move. Using his powers, Anakin threw one of the Senatorial boxes in his opponent's direction, earning a temporary advantage to strike down upon the Sith.

It was now a fight of the wits, lightsabers, and the Force. Objects were thrown about, most usually missing their target, and Anakin was the sole user of his lightsaber. "It is no use, young Skywalker, your powers, even if great are nothing compared to the Dark Side!" Sidious bellowed, Force-pushing the Jedi off his current equilibrium.

The push sent Anakin down, and he scraped madly through the air, trying to find a hand hold. Instead, his body slammed against the side of one of the Senate boxes and he slid before he could get a firm grip on the edge, continuing onto the hard floor. The side of his face and the ferroncrete met all too soon, the impact successfully managing to make hard crunching sounds as he landed.

For a moment Anakin lingered, but after hearing someone -or a group of someones- approach, he looked about fervently for a way to escape. Scanning the floor quickly...

...An air shaft! He dragged himself upon the floor and braced himself to fall down the shaft and into a control room. That is, of course, before slicing up the fan and destroying the operator droid.

From the small little control room, Anakin limped out into the street, leaving behind Artoo and his starfighter. He had to reach Padmé as fast as possible before Sidious could commit any more treachery.

--

Sidious could sense his aides approaching, and the Jedi was going to attempt to flee - not for long.

"Are you alright, Chancellor?" Mas Ammeda stalked with his huge limbs, several stormtroopers behind him, and Sly Moore treading slowly behind as usual.

He cleared his throat, while pulling the hood over his obscene visage. "Senator...we must call a Senate meeting immediately. It is of great urgency. An attempt has been made on my life - by the Jedi. We must contact our troops...to execute Order 66. The Jedi are plotting to take over, and the consequences will be dire of we do not act as well."

The Chagrain took a long moment to be stunned, and then began to snap into order. Ammeda had Moore escort the Chancellor to his chambers, then made off to relay the transmissions.

All was falling into place, and Skywalker would soon pay for his obstinacy. In the privacy of his quarters, the Sith Master looked upon Coruscant with devilish glee; he envisioned it, and its people, all gloriously his.

As he continued in his power-hungry ambitions, his eyes rested on that of one of the many gleaming apartment buildings. He sensed the time was nearing in the final stance of play. Power was the game, and he would soon claim every single piece for his domination of the ultimate board.


	3. Trapped

Something was out of place. Padmé could taste it in the air. Something very bad was happening, or going to happen, and it was coming all too soon. It was an ill wind that blew no good. Padmé knew that the feeling wasn't just a result of paranoia over the war.

No, it was most definitely something. As if a foretelling of some great disaster.

The thought had been lingering over her for days, even weeks now. Ever since the night of Anakin's nightmare. His stoic and depressing mood didn't help matters any. Nothing seemed to feel right or safe anymore these days.

What was worst about it was that she had no power or control over any of the things that kept passing by. With the war raging on, she had no say in the Senate. Chancellor Palpatine seemed to be monopolizing the decisions, making democracy look like a thing of the past.

It frustrated her to return to her office every day, pushing around useless papers and wasting her brains on things like trading shipments and restaurant feuds. It certainly wasn't what she had been elected for.

An internal kick reminded her of the one good thing present in the tumultuous times. Lately, the baby had been her sole comfort as it was now. She patted the top of her belly, saying quietly, "Hello, Luke or Leia. It's as if you know just the right time to cheer me up, don't you?"

She smiled in spite of herself. People could rarely imagine her, Senator Padmé Amidala, cooing to her own stomach. Regardless, she concentrated on her pregnancy, something she had been dreaming about more and more every day.

A strange sensation overwhelmed her in the middle of a daydream. It felt like being a leaky drain pipe, which could only mean one thing.

_"Anakin, where are you?" _was the only thought that ran through her head.

--

_"Anakin, where are you?" _He grasped the side of his head as a huge tremor quaked through the Force. The Jedi Knight bolted through the street, ignoring the curses and offended protests of the civilians. Their baby was coming and Padmé needed him. He only hoped that he could get there before his premonition had a chance to come true.

A sense of danger gnawed at the edge of his mind like a warning. But just like the civilians, Anakin shook that off too. There, a few blocks ahead, their apartment building gleamed in the afternoon sun. He stopped at the edge of the block, sweating. After a moment to catch his breath, he sped off again.

Only time would tell.

--

"Threepio! Help! I need to go!" Padmé yelled for her golden assistant, anxious to reach a med-center in time. She refused to give a home birth, no matter what the risks to her and Anakin's reputations. There was no adequate midwife that she could trust her child with.

"Excuse me, Mistress Padmé, but may I ask where you are going?" The golden droid hobbled jerkily into the room.

"My water has broken, and we'll need to head for the med-center immediately! I'm not familiar enough with the experience of childbirth to do it myself. Please--"

She gasped mid-sentence, descending to her knees. The communicator in her hand looked like it was going to break from the strain of her tight grip.

"Miss Padmé! Miss Padmé! Bless my circuits - are you alright?" Threepio bent over to help her off onto her feet.

"I-I-" she faltered, "I think...he or she is certainly impatient to come out. Please, hurry!"

Just as the protocol droid tottered back in the direction of her bedroom, the apartment door blasted open.

"I am afraid that is out of the question Senator Amidala. Or should I say, _Skywalker_?"

Sly Moore's cloaked figure shadowed the door, flanked by five others in long red robes and masks. Sheer terror filled Padmé's soul. The wheels in her brain turned, immediately coming to the conclusion that the horrible thing she had predicated had come true. The Supreme Chancellor's Senior Administrative Aide did not barge into just anyone's house with five red guards for no reason.

"What are you doing here, Senior Administrator Moore?"

The stony blue features formed a small, sadistic smile. "Ignorance is bliss. For now, at least. Take her." The red-clad individuals strode forward, and roughly took her to her feet, into the bedroom.

Padmé fought their strong grip around her arms, screaming and flailing her legs to no avail. "Let go of me, LET GO OF ME! What is it you want?" She already knew the answer.

The same shadow of sadistic glee passed the Umbaran's face. "_You _know as well as I do, Senator. He will be powerful beyond your wildest dreams. By my Master's side he will rise to greatness. More than you can ever imagine. With his power, the Jedi and their foolish notions will be crushed once and for all."

Her victim stared in horror as the assailants pinned her down to the bed. "You can't do this! No, let go, let go! I won't let you--"

"Oh, but I'm afraid we can. And we will. If you'd cooperate things would be just so much less painful." Sly Moore's eerily minuscule pupils and completely white eyes, bored into the soft brown.

Padmé was clamped down by the red guards in a momentary lapse of detachment. The eyes were making her dizzier than before with their small black dots.

Snapping out of temporary lethargy, she shouted, "You can't have my child! I won't let you! You'll never--"

"Gag her!" the Umbaran ordered in her deep, raspy voice. From her shadowcloak, Sly extracted a dangerous-looking needle and a case of medical equipment. The preparations were ready; her Master would be most pleased after the work was finished.

As Padmé struggled, she concentrated on Anakin. He would come to get her out of this mess. He just had to. She made a silent plea as the ominously sharp point was injected into the crook of her arm.

_Anakin! Help me, please!_


	4. Escape & Delay

_"Yes, my lord."_The clone commander saluted, then signed off. Sidious grinned sadistically at his desk, confident that Sly Moore would complete her task. Soon, the Jedi would be extinguished, leaving way for a New Order. His order.

Reaching out with the Force, Sidious searched for the presence of Anakin Skywalker. The foolish boy wasn't even cloaking himself. It was like taking candy from a baby. Or rather, taking the baby from the candy.

Addressing his guards, the Sith said, "There is a dangerous criminal next to the Opera House. Apprehend him, and show no mercy. He must be killed before any more damage can be done."

They nodded wordlessly, and headed swiftly out the door in a meticulous single file. Sidious smiled smugly as he returned to his desk to examine the holographic projection of a galaxy that, without a doubt, would soon be his.

* * *

Anakin ran, using the Force to accelerate his speed. The fear from his wife kept him going. So close now...

But suddenly, a vehicle roamed overhead, stopping straight in front of him. Sidious!Four red-clad guards in elongated masks stepped out of the craft, facing him menacingly with long durasteel staffs. Reacting not a second too slow, Anakin whipped out his own weapon and brandished it in front of him warningly. The guard still did not speak, but instead advanced with their staffs.

Crashing his lightsaber down on the offending weapon, he expected it to be sliced in half like any other rod. To his surprise, it stayed intact. After that, it made a large swoop at his head. Regaining his senses, the Jedi clashed blades with his four opponents and soon managed to concuss two of them, making the fight more even.

However, the fall of their comrades did nothing to discourage the remaining two opponents. It only strengthened their resolve to eliminate him. With harsher blows, Anakin was forced on full defensive. Once or twice, they managed to trip him up, only to have him leap back with full force. All of it was like a complicated dance, going back and forth, dip and dodge, parry and poke.

Anakin, even with his Force-enhanced abilities, was beginning to tire. His moves became slower, even to the point of being sluggish. The guards took full advantage of this, bearing down upon him even more. Off in the back of his mind, he could sense his wife slipping. Something was happening. A hot flurry of anger began to boil inside his stomach.

The sensation spread, his hate for those people and their actions fueled the rest of his duel. Utilizing the negative emotions, he charged back at his red-robed opponents. They were caught off guard. The next thing Anakin knew, the third guard lay dead on the ground from a blow to the head, and the last kneeled at his mercy. Panting hard, Anakin had a sudden vision. It was another face, in another time.

One of the Tusken children lay at his feet, shivering in fear. Clinging onto its dead pet, the young one produced something similar to a cry. He looked down upon it, disgusted by its harmlessness and angry that it wasn't trying to attack him. The thing just sat there. The only thing he had known in that moment was that he wanted the crying to stop. He wanted it to apologize.

In the end it stopped wailing. Anakin had plunged his blue saber through the small being.

Another vision floated through his mind, Count Dooku lay knelt before him, his head delicately placed between the glowing red and blue lightsabers. Anakin felt the fear, both his own, and his enemies'. He struggled with the conflict. The desire for revenge, and the reason to give mercy. The urge of vengeance proved too great. It seemed to expand with each passing moment he saw the wide eyes trembling in pain. And so Anakin crossed the blades to eliminate the delicately placed object. All life faded from the eyes and Darth Tyranus was no more.

Back in the present, Anakin saw the red Senate guard. His own hand trembled from the horrific memories he himself had brought about. Revenge...The word settled on his brain like poison. No, this was of the Dark Side. Already, he had killed -murdered- others in his thirst for revenge._ "Revenge is of the Dark Side,"_his masters would implore. With a heart beating a hundred light years a minute, Anakin's wavering hand lowered the blade.

"Leave. Tell your master you have failed and take with you your comrades. Try this again and you won't be walking away a second time." With that, Anakin retrieved his discarded cloak and leaped off in his previous direction, as far as possible away from the alley that held a revelation.

His muscles tensed; the twins were coming closer, and Padmé's pain escalated through the Force. Would he be too late? Would the vision come true?

Reluctant tears descended as the screams of a nightmare echoed in his ears. He had reached the building of their apartment, but now had fifty floors to travel up. He could only hope that the turbolift went fast enough.

* * *

Sly Moore leaned back, placing the syringe into her cloak once more and looking on with a look of glee. "Do not worry, Senator. Your -" Padmé's captor broke off from her triumphant banter, staring off distantly.

A sudden thought occurred to Padmé: Could this woman possibly have been trained in the ways of the Dark Side? She seemed evil enough for such an art, and her race was rumored to influence people's minds.

"Watch her closely. I will return shortly while I...take care of some _intruders._" With that, the strange woman left Padmé and the guards alone.

Now was her opportunity to pull some sort of escape plan. A contraction came, and she braced herself against the headboard of her bed. She could see the guards exchange some sort of bodily communication, as if unsure of what to do if she was left alone with them for too long and gave birth before their leader came back. They clamped on her arms harder and more nervously.

Thinking tentatively, an idea sparked in her mind. In a pointedly rude manner, she asked, "Am I allowed to go to the refresher? Or do I just have to leak all over the place?"

One of the guards quickly got up and took her to the refresher. However, she wasn't sure whether he would stay and guard inside, or just politely wait out the door. Fortunately, he did the latter.

Padmé exhaled in relief. For years, she had wondered why anyone would have a window in the refresher right next to the toilet. In transparent cabinet were several boxes of hair accessories, which she had also made private complaints about. Now, she appreciated them more than ever, because concealed at the bottom of one of these boxes was a vibroblade.

Extracting the miniature, yet deadly weapon, she smashed the window open. Immediately, the guard dashed into the room, expecting to find the she had climbed out. However, she hid until he was in front of her and struck him with the blade in his torso. She fled out the door, calculating that she'd have approximately thirty to sixty seconds before the other guards would come looking.

* * *

According to the lift's little floor monitor, Anakin was currently passing the forty-first floor. He tapped his boot impatiently, unable to bear the terrible silence and calm of the machinery that held him. His wife was in danger as was his son. _Son?_

So far, Anakin hadn't been able to discern whether it was a boy or girl. They had shielded themselves with the Force somehow, and he couldn't get a direct sense of which gender. But it had appeared that it would be male. It was puzzling and nerve-racking to think that his son - if it was indeed a boy - was in mortal danger and he was in a turbolift.

After the forty-fifth floor, the lift screeched to a sudden halt. Anakin's danger sense flared and he knew that someone would be coming very soon, and they would be anything but courteous. Igniting his lightsaber, he began to carve a hole in the ceiling.

He prepared to leap out when the door opened simultaneously, allowing Sly Moore to enter. Extending a hand, she slammed him against the wall before he could react.

"Ah...Skywalker, I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere. Permanently."

A silvery, almost transparent tube ejected a brilliant scarlet blade from both ends in her hand. His opponent discarded her shadowcloak to reveal a similarly colored dress beneath it. Smiling sadistically, she struck.


	5. Counting

For all possible training she may have been introduced to, Sly Moore was not a challenging opponent when a lightsaber was concerned. She was starting to worry that he might eliminate her altogether. Channeling into the Darkness, she concentrated on the son that would soon bring balance to the Force and enable them to rid of all the Jedi.

"Afraid for your wife, Skywalker? After she gives birth to the boy, I'll be certain to take _good _care of her," she taunted.

His strained control of emotions was evident in both his face and his gestures - she waved the lightsaber cautiously before her as he faltered. She continued, "He will be one of the greatest Siths in history. He will prevail over your pitiful Order and watch as it crumbles to sheer dust, as it should. With you and your royal wife along with it."

Here was where Anakin made his fatal mistake: as he began to make another side-swing with his saber, Sly Moore twisted her blade around his and, in a swift move, eliminated his mechanical hand. The blue lightsaber skidded across the narrow hall with the severed cybernetic, and the Umbaran seized her chance to swing fiercely at the Jedi's torso.

Anakin quickly ducked from the buzzing business end and used his left hand to repel his attacker with the Force as wires crackled on the existing stump of its mate. She was blasted backward into an apartment's door and Anakin dived for his saber, using the Force to snap it into his receiving hand.

Igniting the blade again, he rushed down the hall backwards in pursuit of the stairwell that lay at the other end. Sly Moore was rushing toward him with all of her might, her opaque white eyes glowering with hot rage. Anakin felt his foot touch the end of a step and began running up them forwards with all the Force-enhanced speed he could muster. His attacker's shriek of agitation echoed up the narrow stairwell, sending a sheer chill up his spine.

Nonetheless, she was slower and less powerful, following behind by one flight or so, until she realized the idle nature of using steps. With a great leap, she managed to balance herself atop the rails of the next flight and soon was right on top of him. Not a moment too soon, Anakin parried his blade to front her ambush when he felt someone familiar...

"Padmé!"

Her eyes locked down upon his in unconcealable fear. "NO! Watch out!"

Sly Moore had used the distraction to her advantage, lunging at his throat. He only barely caught the red blur in time.

"Get out of here! Now! The other way!" He shouted above the sound of the buzzing.

Padmé hesitated. Once again, Sidious' right hand woman took this to her advantage and flipped around to Force-push both Anakin and Padmé onto opposite sides of the stairwell. The former toppled over the railing, only to catch the of the forty-first flight in time. The latter screamed landed against the wall on the landing as Sly Moore approached her, waving the red saber menacingly.

"You're not escaping this time, pretty little bun-head. Now, lay down and things will go just fine. The drug has accelerated the birth and the boy will arrive soon. Maybe in less than two hours, if you cooperate. Sit down," she barked.

Now without even a feasible way to escape, Padmé felt trapped. But the contractions had come sooner and sooner together, warning her that the time would be coming shortly. She complied to the order and sat, trying to calm herself and think of a way out of this mess before she would lose anything else. Her vibroblade would be useless by the time she could get it out. She knew that Anakin was still hanging on, and she knew she needed to keep strong.

* * *

Padmé now knew that there was definitely going to be no escape. She had stripped down to her underclothes; the effort and strength that was needed for childbirth caused a stifling heat and too much sweat. The clothes she had formerly been wearing lay beneath her in a makeshift blanket. Sly Moore had barred all the entrances and exits, making the three (five, actually) trapped inside the sixty-five level stairwell.

Sly Moore had also decided to keep Anakin alive out of sheer necessity. If the mother was distressed, she might damage the child, hence the idiot Jedi would have to be kept alive. However, she had confiscated all of his weapons and laid them inside her shadowcloak. She forced him to press against the wall with her lightsaber at his throat, if he dared to try a thing.

"Is it hurting? Are you okay? Do you need water?" Anakin kept asking, a pained and worried expression beginning to grow into his face. He had attempted soothing his wife with the Force until Moore had ordered him to stop.

Padmé, even though somewhat appreciative, was getting frustrated with his constant pestering. "Does it LOOK like I'm ALRIGHT?!" She exhaled angrily through gritted teeth, bracing up against the wall to avoid the pain.

"Seven centimeters. Almost ready."

If Anakin's eyebrows could go any higher, they would ride off his forehead. "What do you plan to do with the Republic? Turn it into your own Empire with Sidious leading it? You won't take my son...my Luke...The Jedi couldn't stop me from marrying Padmé or becoming a father, and neither are you!"

"I'm afraid that you're dreadfully wrong. You have lost your chance to ultimate power and glory, but your son will make a good Sith. He will be the sole heir to all the galaxy, standing at my Master's side to do his bidding. And the best part? You won't even know it's happening. I wish I could lock you up in a cell to watch the power and evil he'll command, but it would be less trouble to just kill you after he's born."

Normally, rash and irrepressible Anakin would have rushed at the woman's throat, but was constricted under the red blade, leaving him only to glare and mutter blasphemous profanities under his breath. She cajoled at his strain of control and wiped Padmé's brow again to hand her some water. Padmé groaned in pain, then gulped the water down to cool herself.

"I'm right here, I'm going to help you as much as I can. Hold on!" Scenes from his dream relayed back to him as he watched her face flush in color from the effort. _Oh Force, don't let her die! _He prayed silently, _Don't let our son die...they're too young, too innocent!_

"Breathe, Senator. Eight centimeters and counting."


	6. Running To Safe Haven

A/N: After a long break from this story, I am finally able to come back. I hope you aren't disappointed - review and tell me please.

* * *

"Run, Padmé, run!"

For what seemed the umpteenth time that day, Anakin Skywalker was running for his life, and the lives of his family. The streets of lower Coruscant were a complete blur as he rushed his wife along, who, needless to say, was weak. Her body had lost a lot of fluids and she was in desperate need of rest; yet in the current state of things, rest would have to wait. Her biggest concern now was the newborn baby girl in her arms.

After Padmé had made the effort to push Leia's tiny body out of her own, the treacherous Sly Moore had tried to smother the child. Padmé, though frail from birthing her twins, was also in such a state that she had thrown the vibroblade hidden underneath her robes, effectively blinding Moore's left eye. Enraged and surprised, the henchwoman had yelled in pain. The temporary distraction was enough to allow Anakin to hand his daughter to his wife; unfortunately, Sly Moore had foreseen her disadvantage, and with Luke in tow, leapt backwards off the stair rail and down the fifty-floor abyss.

While his son was an obvious priority, the lives of the rest of his family were at a closer distance. In a frantic rush, the Jedi Knight assisted Padmé in cleaning both herself and the baby, then getting into a turbolift. Other than that, there wouldn't be time to go back for anything else.

"Take this," Anakin told his wife breathlessly. It was a commlink. "Get whoever you can - Dormé, Elle, Motee, anyone! Take Leia and escape where they can never find you. I'll join you soon. And I'll do whatever I can to get Luke back."

"Anakin--" she began, her heart fracturing as the tears began to well in her eyes. He stopped her with a short, albeit meaningful, kiss. Padmé could taste the essence of a goodbye in it.

Without another word, Anakin began to sprint with Force-induced speed in the direction of their pursuers. Not even concentrating on where she was going, Padmé followed her husband's instruction by running straight forward. Distantly, she heard the familiar whir of a lightsaber and crashing sounds, but everything soon faded as she went further underground.

Once the wind had torn at her lungs until she felt as if they should burst, she stopped in the middle of the Coco district. Padmé realized that sunset was approaching and, as a result, more people began to flood the streets of the popular district. Glancing fervently in all directions, her eye caught the corner of a street - Dexter's Diner.

Surely, a good friend of Obi-Wan Kenobi would. . .

Well, it was worth a try. She only needed a refresher and a few moments to make a call on the commlink. Her thinking was brought to a halt as Leia finally began to cry. Feeling as if the day could get no worse, Padmé gently rocked her precious child in her arms, at the same time walking inconspicuously towards the little diner. Leia's cries began to quiet with the reassurances of her mother.

When the door opened, she was relieved to find the place relatively empty. The dinner hour hadn't yet begun for the normal clientele.

"What can I get'cha, hon?" A pretty blond girl in a thigh-length blue dress was speaking to her. She didn't seem to notice the baby.

"Um, just a glass of water please. Is-is the owner around?" Her voice cracked with fatigue, and she could only imagine what she looked like. She didn't want to think about it.

The waitress rose a questioning brow but called "Dexter!" into the back nonetheless. Pointing to one of the empty booths for her new customer to sit in, she disappeared behind the swinging kitchen door. A few seconds later, and Dexter Jettster emerged, a glass of water balanced on a tray in one of his four arms. With a neutral expression he served her the glass of water and sat in the opposite seat, his upper two hands resting atop the gray table surface.

"You wanted to speak to me, Senator Amidala?"

Padmé's forehead wrinkled when she heard her name spoken. "Please, don't give me away. No one can know that I've been here. But yes, I did want to speak to you." She paused, fussing with Leia's blanket.

"I came here in order to make a comm call. And to leave you with some information so Anakin can follow me. I need to trust you to know this. You must have seen the Chancellor's announcement on the HoloNet. I haven't got many of the details, but I'm sure of what he said. After the past few hours, I doubt that I'm wrong."

The Besalisk rubbed his stubbly chin in a slow, thoughtful manner. His eyes drifted towards Leia. "She's yours," he stated simply. It wasn't a question.

"Yes. Yes, and I will do whatever I must to keep her alive and safe. Anakin has helped me, and he's promised to continue helping me. Mister Jettster," Padmé appealed, feeling the weight of the little time she had. "I'm going to find away off of Coruscant as soon as possible if you'll only find a way to pass the message on to Anakin."

His large lips upturned in a smile. "Of course, young lady. Make your call in the staff 'fresher - it'll be the most private place."

She smiled gratefully in return and taking a few sips from the glass, went through the swinging door, through the kitchen, and into the spacious 'fresher designed for different species. Sitting on the toilet, she adjusted her clothes to allow Leia to breast feed. Watching the infant's lips close around her bare nipple, she waited, breathing slowly from exhaustion. Once Leia had finished, Padmé remembered the necessary clean-up.

As the Senator input the frequency, she felt her daughter fall into a peaceful sleep, making her wonder what her son could possibly be doing right now. She prayed that Anakin had found him, and that he was safe.

_"Yes?" _Dormé's voice came in weakly through the speaker.

"Dormé," Padmé breathed in relief. "Dormé, I need your help."

_"Certainly, Milady," _she replied, rapt and attentive as usual.

"Dormé, get my ship ready and land it above the Outlander Club. Please bring the baby preparations we made, and then as many of my clothes that are durable that you can. After that, hide everything else. Leave no traces. I'll be waiting."

_"Very well, Padmé." _She sounded worried, and rightly.

"Thank you, Dormé," Padmé finished faintly. This was it - she was leaving, fleeing for that matter, as everything she knew crumbled into unrecognizable pieces around her. Her son, Luke, was separated from her, and might not reunite with his mother for a long time. Even blinded, Sly Moore was still a dangerous threat that had a lot of support. The situation was worse still because Anakin was out there, fighting, trying to get Luke back, and in danger of death or capture. Something might happen, and she would never truly know.

Padmé set these thoughts aside. She had told Dormé she'd be waiting. And wait at the Outlander Club she would.


	7. Servant and Master

The window expanded upon the entire wall, making for a wonderful view over the upper levels of Coruscant. The newly "crowned" Emperor was observing the massive glittering sight with an insidious grin that bore nothing short of ecstasy. What pitiful people to have been taken over so easily. And those fool Jedi, soon to be crushed like insects at the corner of every system by his massive army of stormtroopers.

Ah, yes. Not merely clones, but stormtroopers. The name was powerful and befitting against the likes of those disgusting half-breeds and creatures. The "species" throughout the galaxy were little more than walking, talking beasts waiting to be caged and used for the benefit of humans. Humans, who were so clearly superior, had been languishing under the control of beasts for countless millenniums.

With the rise of his new regime, that would be no more. Just as the last of the treacherous Jedi would be extinguished by the spawn of one of their own. How befitting, that after all of the Jedi's futile attempts to rid themselves of emotion and attachment, they should end by the consequences of their Chosen One's attachments.

Emperor Palpatine's head inclined barely a fraction of an inch as he sensed his servant approaching with the child of Skywalker. While she had succeeded, he sensed something amiss in her mindset. What an incompetent fool! Of all of his apprentices, he had expected the invaluably silent Sly Moore to succeed at this simple mission. Before she began, she took a moment to position herself upon the floor, kneeling.

"My Master," started the Umbaran. "The child of Skywalker lies in my arms. However," she hesitated, "his mother has managed to elude capture as well as...his sister."

At this, the Sith stood, his anger overwhelmed by sheer surprise. This was something he had not foreseen. A sister? Sensing her master's distress, Moore explained, "My Master will be glad to learn that this child has great power. While in the womb he had used the Force to conceal the presence of his twin."

Another smile slowly crept upon Sidious' face as he laid eyes on the infant Luke. Sly Moore had used the Force to induce him to sleep, but even in his restive state the newborn's Force-presence was strong, strong enough even to rival his father's.

"Good, good. You have at least succeeded at _this. _But you have failed to dispose of the Nubian mother. She was a pregnant, weak woman, an easy target. And what of the girl?" He demanded, descending the step and circling his apprentice.

Sly Moore hung her head in shame. "Amidala has taken her." When Sidious' anger mounted at hearing this, she cried, "But we have Skywalker! He should lead us to the girl and her mother, should he not?"

Letting his emotion settle temporarily, the Emperor acknowledged, "Yes. But he is strong. He must be broken before he can be of any use to us, and that will take some time. By then Amidala and her daughter will be long gone. Since you seem incapable of successfully killing anyone, I will give you this last opportunity to redeem yourself: find the girl and her mother. Your foremost objective will be to get rid of Amidala, but if you can, bring her daughter to me."

"Yes, My Master."

"Go," he spat.

The Umbaran rose from the floor, leaving Luke on Sidious' desk. As she strode towards the door, he gave her one last order.

"And bring Skywalker to me. I will be sure to take good care of him."

* * *

Dormé had been piloting the ship for almost an hour now, sure to lay low until they had left the Core. She glanced sideways, paying particular attention to the newborn Leia in her mistress' arms. Barely a word had been spoken between the two since the handmaiden had come to Padmé's rescue back on Coruscant.

Catching her friend's glance, Padmé leaned over to activate the autopilot. The heavy weight in her chest was finally beginning to subside, albeit slowly, as they moved farther and farther away from Coruscant. Although she was aware of the many dangers that still existed, the anxiety that raged in her stomach was calmed by the notion that they were escaping in a ship. For now, they were safe. For now, there was no one to worry about who might want to kidnap her child, and that was all she could ask for.

Thinking this over, she said, "Dormé. I can't express my gratitude for your help. You are a friend and deserve to know the truth. You're too polite to ask me what you'd like to know, so I'll do it now. What is it?"

Dormé swiveled the pilot's chair in the direction of the co-pilot's, quickly replying, "I saw what happened on the Holonet. I know of the political unrest, but what has happened to your husband now that Leia has been born?"

Recognition dawning, Padmé realized that Dormé has assumed the worst. Yet what would be the worst? That Anakin was dead, or that he had been captured? Padmé knew in her heart that Anakin was still alive. She would have known, somehow, that he was gone. Honestly, she answered, "As far as I know...Anakin is running. I left him as he was pursuing Sly Moore. What I haven't told you yet is that Leia is a twin. Her brother," Padmé's voice finally broke, and she shut her eyes against the tears that were trying, desperately, to leak through.

Placing a reassuring hand on her mistress' shoulder, Dormé asked, "Am I correct to assume that Master Skywalker is in pursuit of his son on account of this new Empire?"

Padmé blinked away the moisture and swallowed the dry lump in her throat. There was still hope, if only she could find a permanent place. _There is hope, _she told herself. Tears would resolve nothing, and she needed to stay strong for Leia's sake.

"Yes. Right as always," she smiled. The movement of her facial muscles felt refreshing as she had not smiled for days. It was almost liberating to be able to smile, even if it was only a small one.

That smile, however, soon left her face when the ship's computer lit up with information about approaching ships. They were starfighters, five ARC-170s. The fact that the fighters possessed six proton torpedoes and unusually large laser cannons along its wingtips showed just how much the former Republic meant business. So much for being safe.

Neither Dormé nor Padmé were known for their piloting skills. But being that the former was in considerably better shape to go through a stressful ordeal such as evading five hell-bent ships that wanted them to go up in flames.

"M'lady, do as I say and strap in at the back of the ship. I will handle this as best as I can, I promise you," Dormé said in a fervor, her hands working diligently over the controls as she lifted the autopilot and increased the ship's defenses.

Padmé had no time to argue as one of the ARC-170s nicked the surface of the Nubian skiff, causing the ship to dip briefly to the right. Holding Leia tightly in her arms, she rushed to the back of the skiff to secure herself and await the worst.

* * *

A/N: Kind of a terrible place to end this, but it at least updated the story. Spring Break is coming next week, so it will finally be time to get on writing!


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